Cold caps

[Rexwaterbury]

For those of you that have used cold caps to prevent hair loss during Chemo, which brand did you use, and what was your experience and cost?

Thanks so much,

Rex

[cesanon]

Wow. I didn't even know they had something like that.

[HOPEFULSPOUSE in reply to cesanon]

Me neither! Would love to hear more.

[Rexwaterbury in reply to HOPEFULSPOUSE]

Freeze the scalp. Less blood flow and chemo to the hair follicles.

[Tall_Allen]

I know that most cold caps are just filled with pre-frozen fluid, but I talked to a woman who told me there's an infusion center where they circulate chilled water through tubes in the cap. She said if you get the pre-freeze kind from Amazon, to bring a second one with you in a cooler, because they warm up quickly. It also may prevent neuropathy to hold ice packs in the hands, and put them on the feet. Ice chips may help prevent dysgeusia. With all that ice, it's a good idea to bring an electric blanket to keep the core warm.

[AlanMeyer]

As I understand it, the idea of cold caps, mittens, socks, ice packs and ice chips in the mouth is to slow down blood circulation and biochemical activity. If there's no cancer on the top of the head, the feet, the hands, or the mouth, you don't need the chemotherapy to be real active in those places and you might reduce side effects in these sensitive areas by slowing down the chemo activity there. I would think that an ice chest full of ice packs or cubes with towels to hold them would be pretty effective. But I have no experience to confirm that.

Alan

[Cosette100 in reply to AlanMeyer]

My brother has done the icecap. It hurts like hell for about 20 mins. The cap is attached to a circulation system like a refrigerator, no ice pack , but a bonnet with multitude of tubes, he has had no hair loss, in fact his hair is thicker and curly now. We always joked he would be bold he had very thin receding hair. Now nice and thick and wavy. He had slight mets in skull. I was told that only certain chemo cocktails are responding to this? He has hair loss elsewhere, face eye brows etc...

[AlanMeyer in reply to Cosette100]

Interesting info. Thanks.

[Rexwaterbury]

There are a variety of companies that provide these services - penguin cold caps, arctic cold caps, polar cold caps, etc. I was just inquiring as to whether anyone on this site has experience with any of the above.

[Schwah]

I have. I used Cold Caps. ‭[phone]‬ Soloman over there. It wasn’t really ego. I was very concerned about looking the cancer part and having people tilt their heads and say “oh....I’m sooooo sorry”. They use a dry ice deal that wraps around your head during the chemo and for four hours religiously. It needs to be changed every half hour and you need a cooler for that. . A little uncomfortable and annoying but no real pain and worked great. I kept 90% of my hair and only I knew I lost that 10%. Relatively inexpensive if you do the changing yourself. I splurged and hired one of their traveling nurses and that was expensive. Otherwise you need a partner to help you. Maybe use a nurse the first time? I recommended them to a woman on chemo for breast cancer and it worked for her although she said her hair thinned a lot. But breast cancer chemo is much tougher stuff. Soloman is very nice and very helpful. They claim 85% effectiveness. Feel free to private message me for more detail if you wish.

Schwah

[monte1111]

I guess sticking my head in a freezer before chemo wasn't a great idea. Hadn't heard of this site or icing before doing chemo. Now I have foot neuropathy. It is very annoying. I didn't develop mouth issues but was next to lady who had developed mouth ulcers. So ice chips for mouth and and ice packs or something for feet it probably good idea. Most of scalp hair grew back. Mustache and eye brows, not so much. Good luck. Good ideas here. I think simple is best.

[azalea18]

I ordered the elastogel skull caps off Amazon - had to get 2, as they do warm up about 30 minutes into chemo (which lasts an hour). Also doing ice packs on hands and gel booties on feet to keep them cold, and ice chips in mouth during chemo. Yes, you definitely need another person to handle all of the ice and supplies. (I bring a cooler, plastic shoeboxes to hold ice on hands and feet, plus all of the gel packs have to be swapped out midway through) My husband has not had any neuropathy, nail loss or mouth sores, but his hair has thinned a little - he just went ahead and shaved it all off this week so I don't know if the gel caps did much or not. He is two treatments through the six rounds. I think the cold caps they have for breast cancer patients in some cancer centers where they pump cold air continuously onto your head would probably be more effective. For some reason where we are they are only offered to breast cancer patients - but they do exist.

[R410a]

I used Penguin. Good results. Cost vary so check out web site. Some cities have a local source which makes it simpler. There are a lot of steps, preparing and changing caps during and after treatment, but if you do not want hair loss, then it is worth it.

You will need someone to help you change the caps etc. It would be very difficult to execute the steps by yourself.

R410a